The present invention is directed to an integrated process for upgrading a residuum feedstock by hydrotreating and hydrocracking using a common hydrogen supply system.
Some progress has been made in developing methods for using a single hydrogen loop in a two-stage reaction process. U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,768 teaches hydrodemetallizing a high-residual vacuum gas oil and hydroconverting the product from the first reaction zone at deep denitrogenation conditions in a second reaction zone. Cycle oil from an FCC may be added to the feed to the second reaction zone. U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,271 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,272 teach processes for making lubricating oil which include passing a suitable hydrocarbon feed and hydrogen sequentially through a hydrocracking zone, a catalytic dewaxing zone and a hydrotreating zone, all at high pressure and in that order, with purification of the hydrogen gas prior to passage to the dewaxing zone.
EP 787,787 discloses a hydroprocess in parallel reactors, with hydrogen flowing in series between the reactors. Effluent from a first reaction zone is separated into a first hydrogen rich gaseous stream and a first hydroprocessed product stream. The first hydrogen rich gaseous stream is shown as being used as quench for a second reaction zone. The first hydrogen rich gaseous stream is also combined with a second hydrocarbon feedstock and fed to the second reaction zone, at a lower hydrogen partial pressure than is the first reaction zone. Effluent from the second reaction zone is separated, the second hydrogen rich gaseous stream being recycled to the first reaction zone, both as a quench stream and as a reactant in combination with a first hydrocarbon feedstock.
Other methods have been proposed for separating partially reacted reactants within a reactor, removing one of the reacting streams (generally either a liquid or a vapor stream) and continuing reaction of the remaining stream. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,469 teaches a two-stage hydrocracking process, with denitrification being accomplished in the first conversion zone and cracking conversion being accomplished in the second conversion zone. U.S. Pat. No. 3,172,836, a liquid-vapor separation zone is located between two catalyst beds for withdrawing a normally gaseous fraction and a normally liquid fraction from a first catalyst bed. The normally gaseous fraction, along with a second normally liquid fraction, is then passed downwardly through a second catalyst bed. The normally liquid fraction passed through the second catalyst bed may be a liquid fraction recovered from a distillation of the effluent from the first catalyst bed. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,789 a liquid/vapor separator is utilized between catalyst beds to remove liquid from between the beds and permit vapor separated by the separator to pass through catalyst beds below the separator.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,824 teaches a reactor having at least a top bed containing a hydrocracking catalyst and a bottom bed containing a dewaxing catalyst. A hydrocarbon feed mixture is separated, with the heavier stream being hydrocracked in the top bed of the reactor and the lighter stream combined with the effluent from the top bed and the combination catalytically dewaxed in the bottom bed.
However, further improvements for reducing refinery operating costs using common hydrogen supply systems are desired.